We returned to Kent following several earlier enjoyable visits to the county, this time to the area just inland from Sandwich. Although now very rural, this was once part of the Kent coalfield, the last pits closing in the late 1980s. We stayed at the very hospitable and comfortable Goss Hall, an excellent B & B in a Grade II listed manor house just outside the village of Ash.
On the way down, we had lunch at the FitzWalter Arms in Goodnestone (pronounced ‘Gunstone’) and were given a very warm welcome and an excellent lunch, even though the heating wasn’t working and the landlady was busy preparing the food as well as serving behind the bar. Goodnestone is the estate village of Goodnestone Park, an imposing house built in the early 18th century by Brook Bridges and later passing to the FitzWalter family. After lunch we walked about three miles through the pleasant countryside surrounding the village.
Supper was taken at the Duke William in the nearby village of Ickham, reached via a network of winding, single track lanes.
The next day’s nine-mile walk started at the north end of Deal, where we parked next to the site of Sandown Castle, an artillery fort constructed by Henry VIII. We walked northwards with the Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club on one side and extensive marshland on the other. We arrived at Sandwich in time to explore this very attractive riverside town before enjoying a light lunch (sandwiches, of course) in the Crispin Inn, next door to the imposing medieval Barbican gate. Our return walk took us across yet another golf course (the Royal St. George’s Golf Club) to the sea and then southwards for about three miles on the coast path back to our car.
The evening found us back in Sandwich for another good supper, this time at the George & Dragon, spoilt only by a bunch of youths enjoying themselves rather too enthusiastically at a nearby table.
The next morning, we parked at Grove Ferry on the Great Stour and used Walking World no. 2531 as a guide, although we walked the eight-mile route clockwise rather than anticlockwise to get most of the walk done before lunch in the Red Lion at Stodmarsh. The outward route partly followed the banks of the Little Stour.
Having made good progress, we arrived at the Red Lion earlier than our scheduled time of 1.30 pm and were told that a photoshoot taking place in the kitchen would delay the preparation of our food. We were then presented with one of the most expensive pub lunch menus we have encountered in over twenty years of walking – two courses at £32 and rather small portions – very ‘nouvelle cuisine’!
It was after 3 pm when we left Stodmarsh to walk the final three miles back to Grove Ferry, partly following the route of the Stour Valley Walk. Dusk was falling as we drove back to Goss Hall. We visited the Dog at Wingham for our evening meal, which was most welcome after our frugal lunch.
On our fourth and final day we parked in Chilham, a very picturesque village south west of Canterbury. We did a circular walk of about three miles to the south of the village, every now and then catching glimpses of Chilham Castle overlooking the surrounding countryside. Chilham Castle is an imposing Jacobean house built in 1616 by the Master of the Rolls, Sir Dudley Digges.
After lunch in the delightful White Horse at Chilham and a quick look around the church, we headed for home after a delightful four days in this very pleasant part of Kent.
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